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By Geri Anne Kaikowski [email protected]

Dante Hicks may have been known for his quote that he’s “not supposed to be here today” but you won’t catch Brian O’Halloran, who played the Quick Stop Market employee in the movie series “Clerks,” saying that at the Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear II convention.

The event will be held Friday, Sept. 5; Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Woodlands Inn and Resort, Plains Township.

O’Halloran is very much supposed to appear at the event and he is actually looking forward to meeting his fans from both “Clerks” films, the first in 1994 and the sequel in 2006. He also played Vinny in “Mr. Hush.” He is thrilled that “Clerks” still has a huge cult following and is a film that people can relate to. “It’s a comedy that still holds a relevant story about the struggle that 20-year-olds go through about their future,” he said. “We all have friends or co-workers like these characters whom we look at in disbelief.”

Wyoming Valley native David Lee Madison, organizer of the event and writer/producer of the “Mr. Hush” film, conceived the idea for a convention when pondering how to introduce the next cultural horror icon — that would be “Mr. Hush” — to as many people as possible.

“The Weekend of Fear is really just a celebration of our beloved genre where new film makers, veteran film makers, actors, actresses and fans can convene for a weekend of fun,” he said. “What is most important to me is that we stay true to our genre.”

Imagine meeting the rest of the cast from the cult film “Clerks” or getting an autographed photo of “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan of Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies from Duggan himself.

You can do that at Mr. Hush Weekend of Fear, a horror and science fiction fan’s delight. It’s a whole weekend of films, stars and fun events surrounding the genre of science-fiction, horror and pop culture films. You can meet the stars, see (or watch for the 18th time) the films and buy merchandise like toys and comic books.

Madison feels that NEPA is the perfect place for a large-scale convention that cities like New York and Philadelphia host. “Genre fans are terrific,” he said. “I think it’s about relating to a certain character or even a specific atmosphere in a film that transcends time for people. To this day, ‘Fright Night,’ which I saw in the theater as a kid in 1985 is still one of my favorite films.”

And for Steve Dash fans, this may be a golden opportunity. This event has been billed as the last convention appearance for the actor who played Jason Voorhees in “Friday the 13th Part 2,” even though skeptics say otherwise. But Madison, who has known him for years, concurs that it will be.

“Stars of all types of films love to meet their fans, especially ones who appreciate their work,” Madison said. “We are pleased to have some of the nicest people in the industry coming out to this show.”

There will be autograph and vendor rooms just so you can meet up with your favorite stars and wrestlers. Those scheduled to attend include Robert Bruce of AMC’s “Comic Book Men” and “Burn in Hell”; Brad Loree (Michael Meyers in “Halloween: Resurrection”), Harrison Page (“SledgeHammer!”), Stephen Geoffreys (Evil Ed from “Fright Night”), WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana , Tom Savini (“From Dusk Till Dawn”), Fred “The Hammer” Williamson (“Starsky and Hutch”), Robert Bruce (“Burn in Hell”), WWE superstar Gene Snitsky, Ernie O’Donnell (“Chasing Amy”), Jim Krut (“Dawn of the Dead”) and Sharon Smyth Lentz (“Dark Shadows”).

The cast of “Friday the 13th” includes Steve Dash, Bill Randolph, Tom Savini, Kevin Spiritas, Ron Millkie and Kane Hodder. O’Halloran and other members of the cast of “Clerks” like Marilyn Ghigliotti, Ernie O’Donnell and Scott Schiaffo will be present to meet fans. The cast of these two films will host a question and answer session and be available for autographed photos costing anywhere from $20 to $35 apiece.

A Cosplay costume party will be held Friday. The winner of best costume and a guest will be able to have dinner with O’Halloran and Madison on Saturday at Crescenzo’s in the Woodlands. The winning costume must be something created or altered.

O’Halloran will also host Celebrity Karaoke on Saturday.

A children’s costume parade will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday. Five children will be chosen, based on the best homemade costume, to receive a DVD copy of “Dear Dracula.”

There will be film screenings of “The Inflicted,” “The Hanover House,” “Dead Woman’s Hollow,” “Apocalypse Kiss,” “Deatherman,” “Abram’s Hand,” “Co-ed Campfire Carnage” and “Holiday of the Dead.”